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Tsumeb.com: Mission Statement

Tsumeb.com is a not-for-profit, collaborative project with the goal of collating and sharing information relating to the famous Tsumeb Mine in Namibia, one of the most diverse and prolific mineralogical localities in the world. The site was launched on February 8, 2016 from which date interested individuals are invited to contribute by submitting verified information and high quality images relating to the mineralogy, geology, history and personalities that define this unique mineralogical occurrence.

Images used on Tsumeb.com are presented with the permission of the owner and/or photographer. Images may not be reproduced from Tsumeb.com without the express permission of the owner, photographer and/or Tsumeb.com management. Likewise, textual information presented on this site may not be copied without the permission of Tsumeb.com management; however, information may be quoted with appropriate citation or acknowledgement.Reproduction or use of the Tsumeb.com logo is prohibited without express permission of the Tsumeb.com management team.

A platform for submission of contributions will be added to the site shortly. In the meantime, please email all correspondence relating to this site to the following address: info@tsumeb.com

Bayldonite, (after Mimetite)

A large and classic example of bayldonite (?) pseudomorphous after hexagonal, prismatic, mimetite crystals (to 30 mm). While the specimen is labelled as bayldonite it is noted that, on analysis, many similar pseudomorphs have been shown to be arsentsumebite, or mixtures of arsentsumebite and bayldonite, replacing the mimetite. One or two broken crystals show that the replacement is incomplete, with cores of mimetite still clearly present.

Specimen number R8594, in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute.

The specimen was collected from 10 Level, in the first oxidation zone and was in the collection of Friedrich Wilhelm Kegel, director and general manager at Tsumeb between 1922 and 1932.

Kegel's collection was purchased by the Smithsonian in 1950 (White, 1977).

Image courtesy of the US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute.